If Not Now When?
by Pycho-logical
Summary: Years after her adventure in the Labyrinth, Sarah lives a relatively normal life. That it, until an unexpected visit leads her to being pulled into events in the Underground that she wants no part of.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Cold Sweat

" _Stone cold sober and stone cold sweat  
Running down the back of my neck.  
To lose means trouble, to win pays double,  
And I got me a heavy bet."_

 _-Thin Lizzy_

The rhythmic footsteps echoed in the corridor. A steady beat accompanied by a hushed conversation.

"So, the child?"

The Goblin King waited for his companion to provide an answer.

"A goblin, sire." Replied the goblin servant, a short and spotty goblin called Meck. "As we had no requests come in, he became one of us immediately after the thirteenth hour."

"I see." Said Jareth calmly. "Any other business to discuss?"

"You have some letters, sire." Meck handed him a couple of envelopes. Jareth took them, flicking through them one by one without any evident interest. "I know we should send them to the Letter room, but Charlic said these ones were urgent."

"Hmmm…" That servant was not wrong. Unlike the majority of letters that were left in a room somewhere in the Castle to be sorted, urgent ones came straight to the King. And it wouldn't do if these letters in question were left in a dusty pile to gather even more dust.

Jareth opened the first one, and his eyes widened as he read the letter.

"…She's really going through with it?"

Meck stayed silent. He watched the King shake his head in disbelief. Curiosity washed over Meck. At the same time, he restrained himself. It wouldn't do to overstep the line.

"They've actually settled on a date. Oh my." He said in amusement. "I thought Larissa would have broken off the engagement long ago."

They walked for another moment as Jareth opened another letter. Meck wondered who that Larissa person was supposed to be. He didn't notice that the King had stopped his pace until he heard him exclaim in surprise again.

"Oh? Another wedding? Tsk, oh, I definitely can't skip this one, can't I?"

"Is all well, your majesty?" Meck asked nervously.

"Well, I'll have to redo my schedule, Meck. Another cousin is getting married."

"Is it due to conflict with something, sire?"

"Yes." Sighed the King. "I shan't be able to get away during the summer. Not if my attendance is required for Larissa's wedding to that Elf Prince, Alfons, and King Peredur's wedding to…" Jareth looked back at the second invitation. "…this Lady Mariella Elitzkar. Whoever she is." The Goblin King groaned, crumpling the letters in his hands. "Why on earth did they feel the need to schedule them so close to each other's wedding? I'll probably be obliged to stay with someone in the Fae Lands rather than return home and then go out to Peredur's wedding."

"Well, I'll inform Deena of these changes and she can organise transport and whatnot for you." Said Meck. "If your majesty wishes to have his holiday some other time…."

Jareth pushed open an oak door that led into his private quarters. "I shall talk to Deena, but at a later time. I need to rest."

"Oh, of course your majesty." Meck bowed respectfully, "I'll take my leave then."

With that done, Jareth closed the door and sighed. It had been a long day, a long busy day. There was nothing he wished for more than a peaceful and deep sleep. The King began to walk over in the direction of his bedroom, with his soft bed waiting for him. So, when a goblin guard came running from the opposite direction, straight towards him, Jareth had a slight inkling that all may not go as planned.

"My King, please stop!"

"What on earth is going on?" Jareth snapped, sidestepping the guard with ease. "If some goblin has spilled something on my bed, he or she is going straight to the Bog."

"No, you can't!" The guard did his best to block access to the other end of the corridor but the King was having none of it.

"If it was you, Dennik, you can say goodbye to-"

The sight of a crystal ball outside the door of his bed chambers stopped him in his tracks.

"…That's not one of mine."

Indeed, it wasn't one of the Goblin King's infamous crystal glass balls. For one, Jareth didn't remember leaving one in his private quarters. Why would he do that when he could generate one at will? Secondly, it wasn't like the clear crystal balls he could create. This one didn't seem transparent at all. To Jareth's eyes, it seems as if there was smoke inside it….

"Get down." He commanded Dennik, who did so without question. "How did that get there?"

"Someone entered here around five minutes ago." Replied the guard. "An orange furry thing. Not your size, sire. It was closer to my height. It dropped that thing before we even realised it. Frink chased it out of here, but it slipped his grasp before he could catch it. Went out a window. He's out in the gardens looking for it."

"Damn… Orange and furry, you said?" As basic as it was, there was at least one person who fit the short description. Was it a Firey? Perhaps. Certainly not that monster Ludo. No, he was too large. But it could be…

Before Jareth could ponder over what Dennik had said any more, the sound of a crack rang out in the corridor. As both their eye's shot over in that direction, smoke of a greyish-green colour began to rise out of the new crack in the glass. The look of it alone was enough to tell Jareth that the gas was not harmless.

"Stand back, and cover your mouth." He barked swiftly. Jareth raised his hands and focused on keeping the gas back. Luckily for him, his magic was stronger than whoever created this poison. Having no resistance against the King's shield barrier, the smoke retreated back away from Jareth, until it was forced into a corner. It was almost amusing to see the sight of a ball of gas forced up against the wall.

"Let's cleanse the air of this." The King muttered, making a few subtle movements with his hands. The smoky gas gradually lost its colour. After a few minutes of concentration, the gas became transparent, with its poison eradicated.

"My King." Dennik had not moved from the spot he had left him at. There was a quiver in his voice, and rightfully so. "The danger is not over."

Jareth's eyes turned back over to the broken glass crystal. In the middle of the cracked glass parts was another ball, one that was mostly black. After a second or two of looking at it, Jareth realised what that little surprise was.

"Iron." The word stuck in his throat. If that thing exploded out, that would only spell bad news for both the Goblin King and Dennik.

Immediately, Jareth generated a protective sphere of magic and encased the strange black ball in it. Before Dennik could blink, the ball of iron detonated within the confines of the sphere. Piece of iron of varying sizes flew about in it. Despite the safety of the magic sphere, both goblin and King caught a slight whiff of iron in the air. To those of a weaker disposition, they would have felt an uncomfortable burn up their nostrils.

Both of them watched the sphere for a few minutes as the contents burned in a sickly green fire. Nothing was said as the flames flickered around the toxic metal. After some time, the sphere disappeared into thin air.

"…Is it safe now?" asked Dennik softy.

"I am not certain." Said the King wearily. "That ball of iron piece has been transported to a place far from here. But I cannot be sure that the gas is completely neutralized, nor that there are no effects of the burning."

"Sire, there are other rooms for you to rest in for the time being. If you …"

"No."

Dennik raised his head in uncertainty.

"There is no time to rest." The Goblin King marched out of his quarters, with Dennik rushing after him. As he made his way to the Throne Room, he started to issue commands left and right.

"All entrances in and out of the Goblin Kingdom and the Labyrinth are to be blocked for the time being. Get me Frink, I need an image of this assailant from him and from you, Dennik. Tell the head of the guards to report to me once that it done. And someone get me a cup of coffee. It's going to be a long evening"

Xoxoxox

"I do say, what a lovely apartment, my lady!"

"Thank you, Didymus. Would you like some more tea? How about you, Hoggle?"

"I dare say I could use a top up, Sarah. Ah, thank you!"

The dwarf sipped his cup delicately, taking a shortbread biscuit to compliment it. He sat back comfortably on the chair. Next to him, Ludo sat on the floor with Ambrosius, wagging his tail happily. Didymus sat with Sarah on the comfy sofa, adding a spoon or two of sugar to his tea.

"Certainly better than the last place you were at." Mused Hoggle, "Nice and bright. Will you be staying here long?"

Sarah looked over her head, glancing around her apartment. Having just moved in, it was basic enough in appearance. Standard Ikea furniture, bright curtains, and plain walls. But it was warm, not too small, and was in a safe area. Those factors alone would be reason enough for her to stay where she was.

"Well, I can't say for sure." She admitted. "I'd like to. This company is better than the old newspaper job I was at. The co-workers are actually competent. I've been doing well with my work so far, like I feel more motivated here. There's more opportunities for me, you see. So, yeah. If things keep going the way they've been going, then I don't see the harm in staying."

"Good idea." Said Ludo, "Sarah happy."

Sarah nodded. There was no reason not to be happier than she had been a few months ago. She enjoyed (slightly) higher wages, better work to do, and didn't have that strict boss who seemed allergic to innovation. That same boss who treated her as well as an unpaid intern, and whose first reaction to her work was to find any kind of criticism.

Yes, anything was better than working for that trashy tabloid.

"So, that's enough about me." She said, "What have you guys been up to?"

Didymus leaned back on his chair with a content smile, "To be perfectly honest, my life is quite normal. I guard the Bog with the noble Ambrosius by my side, visit my good friends and duel on occasion with the local goblins. I also engage in the odd game of Scrabble here and there when I've the time. All in all, harmless fun!"

"Ludo visits friends. Also explores and fights with brother Didymus. Can't complain."

"Remember when you got that cold, brother?" Chuckled Didymus, bending over to take another biscuit, "Thou were in a most miserable state. But fear not, my dear Sarah, he got better, as you can clearly see!"

"Good to hear…And Hoggle?" asked Sarah, catching her friend off guard.

"Oh, uh…no, nothing new with me." He said quickly, "Just the usual things, nothing new."

"Now, come, come, friend Hoggle!" chirped Didymus, slapping the dwarf on his back, "Didn't you not receive a promotion recently? And I heard you got into a fight with one of the guards in the Goblin City the other day. What fun!"

"That bloody worm put me up to it!" Hoggle nearly shouted, but kept a lid on his annoyance. "…That is to say, he misled me. It's not important. Next time I see him, I may feed him to a fairy." He trailed off.

Sarah gave him an interested look, "And what's this about a promotion?"

Hoggle sighed, "Not so much a promotion as a relocation. King Glitter Rat decided I wasn't to be trusted in my old spot. So, I got shoved off eastwards along the wall, where the fairy infestation is the worst. It figures. Just when I had my house just right, and now I've to live in that bloody hovel."

"I do sympathise with you, dear Hoggle, it certainly doesn't smell very pleasant."

Hoggle shot a dry look at Didymus.

"Like you can complain."

"Hmm…What do you mean?" Didymus appear genuinely puzzled by Hoggle's comment.

"Did I tell you guys that Toby entered an art competition recently?" Interrupted Sarah quickly.

"Ah, when was this?" Asked Didymus, "Last time we spoke, you said he didn't intend to go public with his works. Being only eleven and all that."

"Oh, no. He's still not comfortable with that." Sarah face fell a bit. "To be honest, my dad kind of pushed him into doing it. He noticed this one painting Toby did, and slightly nagged him into submitting it into this contest some company was sponsoring. Unfortunately, Toby didn't win."

"Well, can't win all the time." Shrugged Hoggle. Ludo nodded in agreement.

"I would agree with you, Hoggle. However, Dad got Toby really hyped up about in, told him he would definitely win. So, you can imagine how that all went down when he got the letter saying he didn't win anything."

"Ah. Well, that's just a bit silly on yer dad's part. Like, support him but don't go over the top."

"You can say that again. Dad did the same with me…" For all of Robert William's best intentions of inspiring confidence in his children, it all too often set both Sarah and Toby up for disappointment. Not the worst trait a parent could have, but Sarah knew her father could go about it in a more constructive manner.

"Anyway, aside from that, how fares young Toby?" inquired Didymus.

"Oh you know, the usual passive aggressive Toby behavior." Sarah rolled her eyes as she recalled her last visit to the Williams house up the state. "Acting like Dad and Karen don't care about him, muttering about how his friends Paul and Evan get Xboxes or those PlayStation things in their rooms and how, in his words, 'it's just a little unfair that we won't even allow him a decent colour scheme for his room'. Although, I can't blame him on that. That shade of green just shouts vomit."

Ludo smiled. "Toby is difficult?"

Sarah took an intake of breath. "Well, he's at that age."

Despite the humour in the situation, Sarah couldn't help feeling unnerved of Toby's small signs of rebellion. Even at the age of eleven, Toby was not all that far off of adolescence. From what Sarah could tell, he was already beginning to seem conscious about what his friends thought of him. It wasn't so much peer pressure, if truth be told. But it was obvious to Sarah that Toby didn't want to be labelled as a 'weirdo' or seen as too different. It could be understandable that Toby hid any differences he had from his peers, just as Sarah didn't let on how big she was into fantasy fiction and theatre when she was fifteen. Of course, after that incident, that previous obsession became less consuming. That was something positive she could take from her time in the Labyrinth, it had helped her to grow up...

Her mind turned away from that topic. It was best not get caught up in those memories at that moment. Sarah focused her thoughts back on the conversation, where she learned of the various exploits of the Ambrosius and Didymus, and Ludo's wanderings around the Kingdom.

After another hour of chat and stories, their visit came to an end. For one thing, it was late and everyone had jobs and places to be in the morning. Hugging each of her friends individually before they departed for the Underground realm, Sarah promised them that they would see each other soon.

It felt somewhat odd, to be alone after such a pleasant evening with her friends. It must have been the silence. Her last apartment tended to be a little livelier than her current place, as one would expect with a bass player, a tone deaf aspiring singer and an Irish dance instructor as neighbours. Since her TV wasn't fully set up, Sarah rooted around some boxes of her stuff she had yet to unpack in the hopes of finding a particular book to read in bed. In the middle of digging around the boxes, a moderately loud thump noise interrupted Sarah.

"Huh?" She got off her hands and knees, and looked around. From the sound of it, Sarah thought something must have fallen over. Yet, nothing was out of place on her shelves, which didn't have all that much up to begin with. Checking around the other rooms, there were no signs of anything unusual, nothing had fallen over. Puzzling to say the least.

Sarah double checked the front door's locks, along with those of the windows. She waited another moment, in case the same noise was made again. Sarah was met with as much silence one could expect in a city. But no strange thumping noises.

"Hmm… must be someone else. Or building creaks." She muttered. Neighbours could always make sudden noises, that wasn't exactly news to anyone. Safe in the knowledge that all was well in the apartment, Sarah set off for bed. At least, she intended to when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Hello, Sarah."

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth- The Henson Company owns it. Cold Sweat is by Thin Lizzy. The title, 'If Not Now When?', is by a band called Fred from their album 'Leaving My Empire'.

A/N. So I have been trying to write a long multi chapter Labyrinth fic for a while. I first started the first version of this story a while ago, not too long after i first saw Labyrinth. So this story has been rewritten a number of times but Im happy enough with what I've written of the story so far. Anyway, hope people like it! BTW, hope people like the vague IASIP reference ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Beauty and the Beast

 _"_ _Something in the night, something in the day,  
Nothing is wrong, but Darling, something's in the way."_

 _-Beauty and the Beast, David Bowie._

Sarah's fingers felt unusually cold. A detail that she wouldn't have noticed had her hands not been balled up into fists.

She had turned around, and there he was. By the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, the Goblin King stood in his black armoured regalia. Separating Sarah and him was the table

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, with force in her voice. "You have no authority here. Get out."

" _'_ _What are you doing here'_ and ' _get out'_?" Repeated the King in a poor mockery of her voice. "Please, Sarah. Stick to one question, makes easier for all of us. Or ask the right one, at the very least…"

"Ugh, you're not supposed to be here." She snapped, "You know what, I don't care why you're here. It's can only be bad for me. Go away!"

"I'm so sorry you're unhappy." Jareth looked away from Sarah, surveying her small apartment with a less than impressed look. He did not sound apologetic in the slightest. "However, I need to ask you a question."

"A question?"

Internally, the wheels and cogs in Sarah's head started turning.

' _Oh, this could be nothing. But on the other hand, it could easily turn out to be trouble for me. If it was something simple, like, where is the nearest bus stop, he might be out in less than a minute. Yet if it's something like 'will you love me, fear me and do what I say?' or 'Guess what my revenge, ten years in the making, is!' and that lark, then this may be a bit more difficult…'_

"The knight Didymus was here for a few hours, was he not?"

Sarah blinked, head out of the clouds. That wasn't something she expected. It wasn't the worst thing to be ask, but that depended if there were any follow up question.

"He was." Sarah said cautiously, as the Goblin King raised an eyebrow. For a moment, all was silent in the apartment. Then the King took a breath, put his hand in a pocket of his coat and brought forth a clear crystal ball.

"Oh, no. No, no, no." Sarah pointed her finger straight at him in an accusatory manner. "I don't care why you're asking me this, but I'm not taking whatever you're going to offer me."

Jareth said nothing, but his eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips. Instead he held the ball out. Sarah was able to make out something in the ball…

A figure in orange fur and some indistinct clothing, carrying something spherical. Sarah peered in closer, as much as she dared. It was some kind of animal, she could tell that for certain. Yet, try as she might, Sarah couldn't place a name on it.

"It's not Didymus." She said, looking back up at the Goblin King once again. "Didymus doesn't wear cloaks like that. He doesn't care for dark clothing."

"Hmm. I thought as much." The King's face hardened, but otherwise remained seemingly neutral.

Sarah's face screwed up. "Then what was the point of showing it to me?"

"Confirming his alibi." Replied the King curtly. "I need nothing further from you, Ms Williams. I shall bid you adieu."

"Hold on, you-!"

Before Sarah could get to the other side of her table, the Goblin King vanished into thin air. All that was left in his place was a sprinkling of glitter on her floor. Not to mention Sarah's confusion too.

"…." She stared at where her old enemy had been. After a moment, Sarah sighed.

"Where did I put the brush and pan again?"

Xoxoxoxox

Sarah had no time to contact her friends the next day. Between the little sleep she had managed to get and the early start for work, she had no chance to get to a mirror and speak to Didymus, Hoggle or Ludo. It felt somewhat odd to be working away at translating documents when there was something going in the Underground. Or possibly. It didn't mean that something had be wrong, just because Sarah met the Goblin King for the first time since leaving the Labyrinth.

As the day went on, the urge to talk to her friends began to gnaw at her. It could have been the Friday feeling, and that the office clock was deliberately being slow to spite Sarah. But she couldn't throw the urgent feeling that she had to talk to her friends. Were they ok?

But just as she was leaving the office, she received a call.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Sarah's eyes scanned the crowded corridor, letting out a frustrated breath as she realised that she was on the wrong floor. Our heroine overtook a large group of interns following some consultant around and shortly found a lift. As she entered it, pressing the button to her destination, Sarah took a moment to try get used to the overpowering smell of the hospital and to take in the whole situation.

She opened her phone again to look over the text. Her mouth pressed into a hard line, sighed as the lift door opened onto the floor. She glanced around for the particular room number when she was met face to face with a tall, stern faced hospital worker who peered down at her, unimpressed.

"Name and purpose, please?"

Sarah blinked. "Hi. Sorry to bother you, I'm Sarah Williams. I'm here to see my stepfather, Jeremy Powell. Why are you asking-?"

The nurse raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Alright, I'm going to need to see some ID. I've already had some fans of Mr. Powell and his partner try play the relative card. You're not the first concerned stepdaughter to arrive."

Sarah narrowed her eyes, but didn't grumble at the inconvenience. She obliged the nurse, pulling out her work ID. Upon seeing the name, 'Sarah Williams', the nurse directed her to the room in question.

After being left at the door, Sarah opened the door to Jeremy's room. Upon doing so, she came face to face with the woman who had called her a few hours previously.

"Mom!" Sarah was glad to see a familiar face. "Oh jeez, are you ok? Sorry about that, I came here as fast as I could."

"Sarah, thank goodness." Linda Williams placed her hand on her chest and hugged her daughter. Sarah could tell she was shaken by the day's events. Over in the bed, her mother's partner seemed to be dozing. Hopefully it wasn't something serious.

"I still can't quite take it all in. How could anyone do something like that."

Sarah led her mother out of the room and sat her down on a nearby chair. "Mom, could you tell me everything from the start? You weren't very clear when you rang earlier this morning. I mean, there's still some gaps you need to fill."

Upon being seated, Linda took a deep breath. "Well, Jeremy and I came over to the city for the weekend, to visit some friends of ours. I was going to surprise you tomorrow, since I figured you were working today. This afternoon, we came back to our hotel from lunch. It was quite nice out, so Jeremy wanted to take a stroll around the block while I took a nap. He just wanted to settle his stomach, after treating himself to something different. After an hour though, I became concerned when he didn't return. At first, I just though he got distracted and took a longer walk. Then I got a call from someone who found him."

She swallowed and continued. "Apparently this stranger found him just after she witnessed some… some horrible person hit him in the back with what looked like a metal baseball bat. Over in an alleyway of all places, so not many witnesses, I believe. She called 911 before she rang me on his phone. We've been in here since."

Sarah's eyes widened and she did her best to carry on. "Jesus Christ. Is Jeremy going to be ok? That can't be good for him."

"The doctor said it's likely that it won't be too serious. But he does need to be kept in for tests and that. And he only regained conscious a while ago, so we won't know the long term effects until then."

Sarah watched her mother's face intently.

"Well, let's look on the bright side." She said. "He woke up. I mean, being out for long, it's not great, but he does have a chance-"

"You didn't have to come, Sarah." Her mother's face softened from the wiped out look, and her voice sounded apologetic. "I'm very grateful, you know. You were well within your rights to give me an excuse and enjoy your weekend. Not spending Friday evening with your old mom waiting for the doctor to give us the news."

Sarah squeezed her mother's hand in return.

"Mom, it's fine."

After several more minutes spent in conversation, Sarah went into see her stepfather, though she didn't stay long in Jeremy's room. Her stepfather was perfectly capable of conversation, though it was certainly odd talking to him when he was hooked up to an IV drip and dressed in a crisp hospital gown. Considering his usual slick fashionable choices, it was certainly something else.

He didn't have anything more to add to the whole story, only that he couldn't see whoever it was that hit him and he couldn't quite remember how he got into the situation in the alley. The only thing that stood out really was his strange excitement from the whole ordeal, which was bizarre coming from the victim. Perhaps it was shock and a dose of fear, but Jeremy did wonder aloud that being attacked like that must be a sign of his growing fame. Sarah didn't know what to think about her stepfather's claim of being famous enough to have manic fans. As she left him and her mother in the hospital room, with her mother starting to wonder about a need for a bodyguard, Sarah could only think that Jeremy probably needed to sort out his priorities.

Of course, the next thing on her mind was dinner. Sarah did not relish the thought of hospital cafeteria food; previous experience had taught her that the possibility limp salad and bland sandwiches were high. Her plan was to grab a quick bite to eat somewhere nearby before returning back to her apartment. As she walked down the corridor from Jeremy's ward toward the lift, the brunette passed by a doctor and her colleague gazing in amazement out the window.

"Wow! It's so beautiful!"

"Now you don't see that every day. Imagine…"

Sarah was curious enough to slow down and see what it was the two were looking at. Expecting to see something like a double rainbow, or maybe a cute squirrel, Sarah was met with the blank stare of a familiar white feathered owl.

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth- The Henson Company owns it. Beauty and the Beast is by David Bowie, from the Heroes album.

A/N. So I was really happy with the response I've gotten from the first chapter! With a bit of luck, you guys will enjoy this chapter. We've seen what Jareth wanted from Sarah, though she really doesn't get why he asked her than. But something tells me he'll be back...

(Also, since everyone here's a Labyrinth fan, I heard that we may be seeing a comic or some sort about the Labyrinth at the end of the year. I think it's like those one off comics featuring Hoggle, Didymus, and Ludo that were published for the free comic day event, which I liked because it's always nice to see more of these characters... unlike the Tokyopop manga comic series which wasn't great, from the first volume I read. To quote boom studios's article, the comic will ' includes the never-before-told story of how Sir Didymus met his trusted steed Ambrosius, and the story of a goblin running late to the famous "Dance Magic Dance" sequence from the iconic film'. Maybe we'll see a little of Jareth or Sarah? The article doesn't say, but I thought it might be nice to bring this to the fandom's attention at any rate :) )


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: 'Driving Me Backwards'

 _'_ _Oh driving me backwards,  
Kids like me, gotta be crazy,  
Moving me forwards.'_

Brian Eno

' _Oh you have got to be kidding me!'_

"…in the daylight too! So cute!" One of the doctors shook her head in amusement. Sarah waited until they both went off on their way to approach the window. The owl's eyes were locked onto her. He let out a soft hoo and blinked innocently. She said nothing, but gave him the evil eye for a moment. The owl's reply to that was simply to shift his weight and ruffle his feathers. Hoping it was a sign he got her message, Sarah marched over to the ladies' bathroom to compose herself before she left for dinner.

"Stupid Owl. Stupid Goblin King…if that is him." She fumed as she washed her hands in the sink. "What the hell does he think he's doing?" Sarah moved over to the hand drier. "If that assassin doesn't get him, some punk around here with a gun just might…"

"I don't plan on being shot at all, never mind by a 'punk', Sarah. But I do appreciate the concern, thank you."

"You!" Sarah whipped around to meet with her old friend, the Goblin King. She really have expected such a move. "Th…This is a woman's bathroom. Get out!"

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, Sarah. It said 'gender-neutral' out on the front. I'm not breaking any important laws" Sighed Jareth with an amused grin. He went over to the sink and examined a soap dispenser. "Oh, grapefruit and camomile scent. How charming." Putting it down, he continued on. "Worry not, there is only you and I in here and no one shall enter while I'm in here. I just need to talk to you."

"I guess no one noticed you, the Goblin King in his infamous regalia, strutting through the fifth floor of St. Tibullus's." muttered Sarah under her breath.

The king waved his hand. "People will see what they want to see. Anyway, this location is the most convenient for you and I." In response to Sarah's puzzled look, Jareth elaborated. "Well, no interruptions from anyone else. Now, tell me, am I correct in saying that there is a relation of yours currently staying in this hospital?"

Sarah stared at him. "…How do you know that?"

To that, Jareth gave a casual shrug "Oh I have my ways."

' _Maybe he has access to the internet.'_ Sarah thought, a little bit surprised at this information. ' _Unless he's seen Jeremy in one of his plays, that is…'_

"So you know…"

"Jeremy Powell? I know of him."

"…So my stepfather knows you…"

"But, you see, he doesn't know me." Corrected Jareth. "I have seen him on occasion, but we have never been introduced. Properly that is." The man paused deliberately. One had to add dramatic effect to these kinds of things. "We are, however, distant cousins."

"Cousins?" Sarah scoffed. "Ok, that's obviously true, Goblin King. By the way, have I told you? One of my neighbours is a gnome. And my boss, he knows a toll troll from Philadelphia!"

Despite her derision, Sarah wasn't totally unconvinced. A quiet voice at the back of her mind said it wasn't totally unreasonable. Once you got rid of Jareth's ridiculous hair and could see more of his face, you had to admit there was a slight resemblance between the Goblin king and Jeremy. They both had similar cheekbones, and the blond hair may not have been just a coincidence. That said being, her stepfather and Jareth couldn't be more unalike in terms of personality. While Jeremy could be a huge theatre snob, he was easy to get along with for the most part. He could be such an airhead, but at least he was pleasant to deal with…

"Ridicule all you want, I'm certain." Sniffed Jareth, frowning at Sarah. "Well, I'm ninety percent certain. My deceased uncle, the late King Farhold, had a dalliance or two with some humans…well, let's say Jeremy's father may have quite a number of siblings if I am to believe the rumours concerning my uncle."

Jareth watched Sarah's face scrunch up with confusion yet again. "What?"

"Don't concern yourself with that. Rather, ask yourself why he was targeted?"

She sighed and threw up her in frustration. "Well, I was subscribing to the theory of a deranged fan obsessed with Jeremy. He's an actor, you see…" Sarah trailed off for a moment. The connections to the previous day's incident lingered around her mind. "Although, if he's related to you in some way, and if something has happened in your kingdom…."

"You see my point." Jareth looked relieved in a way. "It wasn't human, whoever it was that hit him. I for one would like to find out how Jeremy's parentage was discovered by them. Although they obviously didn't research it far enough to discover his iron immunity."

Sarah raised an eyebrow "He's not immune to a bar of iron to the back of the head? Wow. Tell that to Jeremy's doctors, they'd tell you otherwise."

"Being hit with the likes of iron is going to knock anyone out, Sarah. But then again it wasn't fatal."

"Could have been."

"If he were truly Fae, then that would have been a definite outcome. But having touched iron and come out alive, I'd guess Jeremy is more human than anything else. If nothing else, your stepfather is going to be fine." The Goblin King finished off. To his surprise, Sarah's lips tugged up into a faint smile.

"If what you say is true, my Mom is going to be relieved. That he's going to be fine."

Jareth blinked. It almost seemed as if she was thanking him. How strange. This was quite the development.

"By the way." She added, breaking his train of thought, "What exactly happened yesterday? You've pretty much confirmed to me that something in happening in the Underground. I would ordinarily be happy as a clam to keep out of it. But if Didymus was suspected of something he couldn't have done and Jeremy's was attacked, then I'm afraid that this matter concerns me."

He said nothing in reply. He hadn't meant to get her involved. But here they were. Still, there were some questions he was reluctant to answer, especially to Sarah. To someone who defeated him so infamously.

The King was about to say something to her when one of the cubicle doors swung open. Sarah drew a sharp intake of breath, only to let it out when she was met with the sight of a pudgy, short goblin walking out.

"Ah! It's you...Ethel"

"It's Betsie, your Royalness. Sir, you has a letter." The goblin woman fumbled in her pockets and produced an envelope. Jareth look a look at it, before reaching out for it, grateful that he could avoid the conversation with Sarah.

"Oh. This couldn't have waited?" He said as he opened the letter.

"Nope. It was marked urgent. You remember what you said to us about urgent letters."

As the goblin lady spoke, she noticeably side-eyed Sarah suspiciously. She shuffled closer to her King, away from the Champion. Sarah just rolled her eyes. Then she noticed a change in Jareth's manner.

As Jareth surveyed the letter, his cool if upbeat demeanour hardened. His grip on the letter remained the same by the looks of it, yet it couldn't be denied that there was a tremble in his hands.

"Where was this sent from?" His question was addressed to the goblin woman. She pursed her lips and replied.

"A messenger brought it overnight from the Castle in Starborough. Said he got it directly from Lady Winifredia."

"I see." He brought the piece of parchment down and let out a sigh. "I must go."

"So soon?"

Despite her dry tone, Jareth noticed a hint of concern in the woman's eyes. Not overly sympathetic, mind you. But she didn't miss his unease after reading the letter.

"Yes. I…There is someone I need to see."

Sarah's piercing eyes didn't leave his face.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "It's the least you owe me. Surely you can't spare one minute to explain this mess to me?"

"Oi!" From behind the Goblin King, Betsie pursed her lips and stood upright. "The King don't need your lip! You 'Champion Lady' ought to buzz off."

"Betsie." The King waved a hand, to which the goblin woman backed off a little. "You may return back to the Castle. Inform the servants that I'll be away for a few nights."

"Very well, Your royalness." The woman gave a brief curtsy before vanishing into a cloud of light steam. Sarah could have sworn that the servant made a rude gesture with her hand to Sarah just before she left the room. Or more specifically, her middle finger…

"…Maybe you should know what is going on." Said the King, "But on the other hand, I don't foresee you having any more involvement in this whole situation. So, there's not much point, is there?"

"Hang on a second." Sarah cut in with a sceptical look on her face. "Jeremy's still here in hospital, for how long I don't know. You owe me an explanation, Goblin King !"

Much to Sarah's delight, the Goblin King turned around and opened the door to a cubicle. Before she could lay a finger on him, the King had the door locked and bolted.

"Oh, are you kidding me?" She fumed. Was he really using the damn bathroom right now? "I'm not done talking to you."

On a whim, she took a few steps backwards and sprinted to the door where she slammed the left side of her body against the closed door. To her surprise, and regret as well, the door opened as easily as a knife to softened butter.

"For goodness sake. Owwwww…" She groaned as she picked herself up from the floor back onto her two feet. "Would you quit playing games and…."

Sarah looked up.

There he wasn't.

How goddamn rude of him.

A/N: I based the image of Owl! Jareth from his owl version seen in Pika La Cynique's 'Girls Next Door' comic. Take a read if you haven't seen it, it's one of my favourite web comics.  
I like to think Jeremy was actually mistaken for Jareth once upon a time. If anyone has seen the music video for the song, 'Underground', you'll know that in it, David Bowie played a lounge singer who seems to get transported to the Underground. I like to think it was Jeremy, since he was portrayed by Bowie as well, though in background pictures during the film. Imagine, Jeremy is working as a lounge singer, and maybe one or two goblins spots him and think he's the Goblin King for some reason and take him Underground with him? I don't think it's that much of a stretch, but that's just me anyway. If that were the case, then it also might explain how Sarah came across the Labyrinth book in universe.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Another Tricky Day

 _'_ _You cannot always get it  
When you really want it  
You cannot always get it at all  
Just because there's space  
In your life it is a waste  
To spend your time why do not you wait for the call_'

-The Who

"Ugh…"

Sarah shut her front door, placing down her coat and bag in a corner. Shuffling out of her trainers and into her fuzzy slippers, she dug around a box of miscellaneous things where she was sure she had stashed a local pizzeria's menu flyer.

"After today, I think pizza is in order." She muttered to herself whilst rooting around the box.

Once Sarah finally got hold of it, she scanned down the menu to see what she wanted. In her innermost thoughts, however, were not completely focused on that night's dinner.

' _Next time I see that goddamn Goblin King, he's going to take a slip of his own medicine.'_ She though, wining as she felt the weak ache from the left side of her body. ' _If he needs my help, he can forget about it. I'm entitled to a bit of peace and quiet, after all.'_

In the meantime, Sarah found her phone in the back pocket of her trousers. Much to her displeasure, she also discovered her plans for a pizza were thwarted for the moment by the lack of charge in her phone.

"Oh, for the love of…" Sarah sighed, and went to find where she had put her charger. "Just when I needed it too…"

After another few minutes searching for the charger, Sarah resigned herself to waiting for her dinner for another while longer. Looking at the clock, she sighed and decided on a short nap. As she made her way to her bedroom, she stopped by a mirror to check the state of her makeup.

"Excuse me, my Lady?"

"Oh Didymus!" Sarah exclaimed, with her hand at her chest. She could see her own reflection, along with her fox friend in the background, as if he was sitting on a nearby chair. "Hi, I meant to call you and everyone else as soon as I could. Are you all right?"

"Hmm?" Didymus raised an eyebrow. "Why yes, we are all in good health. You saw us yesterday, remember. For what reason do you ask?"

"Has anything unusual happened in the last…well, day over in your end? As in the Goblin Kingdom I mean."

Didymus stared at his friend for a moment, almost as if he wasn't sure what she meant. Sarah sighed and continued.

"Didymus, I don't want to alarm you. But, the Goblin King came by yesterday evening, after you guys left."

His eyes pricked up at the message. The fox knight still said nothing.

"He didn't do anything." Said Sarah quickly to assure her friend. "Though he did ask me if this person's image he had in one of his crystal orbs was you or not."

"Well, what did this person look like?" He posed the question with care, though there was a sense of urgency behind Didymus's words.

"It was clear to me that it wasn't you." Sarah visualised what she had seen the day previous in her mind. "As in, this person had orange fur and was around your size. He, or she, was fox-like, but hadn't your style of clothes on, nor your eyepatch."

"Ah, yes." Didymus nodded calmly. "His majesty did come by when we returned back home. He also enquired into my whereabouts during the day and I answered honestly. T'was not I."

"I figured as much." Replied Sarah. "But why? Do you know what happened?"

"Oh... I ought not to tell you this." Confessed Didymus. "The King…In my opinion, he would not be pleased…"

"Please. I was worried, Didymus. I thought that something could have happened to you, Hoggle , or Ludo."

"…."

"It would be a weight off my mind. Please?"

"Oh well." The brave knight sighed. "I surrender to you, my lady Sarah. Perhaps you have a right to know…."

"From what I can gather, an intruder was seen in the Castle of his Majesty on the evening we spend together. What's worse is that this fiend made his way to the Kings private quarters. It's causing great concern in the kingdom. Quite a feat when one thinks about it." Didymus paused, before giving a sheepish smile. "Erm. Don't tell him I said that."

"So, someone sneaks into the Castle? Was it a runner? It wouldn't make sense if the King got so worked up about a runner walking into his home. After all, I've done it."

"Under those circumstances, I suppose there would be little issue. However, this was no runner. Whomever it was, they made an attempt to kill him."

For a few moments, Sarah was taken aback.

"I'm going to assume that attempted assassinations aren't a usual occurrence if the Goblin King's reaction is anything to go by." She said slowly. "Didymus, does he have any enemies who would want him dead? Are there any other rulers in the Underground?"

"Well, there are." He replied. "There are many other kingdoms and countries across the Underground. Now, I wouldn't be the person to ask about his Majesty's enemies. I am a guard, my lady: not an advisor in his Majesty's confidence. Anyway, it seems the King tends to take an Isolationist approach to matters outside the Kingdom. If it doesn't concern the Goblin Kingdom, or the lands of his relations, he stays outside of any disputes and conflicts."

"So, we can rule out neighbouring leaders for now." Sarah rubbed her chin in thought. "Well, I would wonder if there's anyone who wants to take out the Goblin King to get the throne for themselves. Like any distant relatives who want his throne for themselves. Hmm. What do you think, Didymus?"

"Again, my Lady Sarah, I am a loyal knight." Didymus paused for a second. "Yet while I'm not privy to his Majesty's foreign policy, I am somewhat aware of some of his family line. His immediate family would not wish for the Goblin Kingdom throne themselves. If I remember correctly, his cousin, Peredur, recently became the King of the Seelie Lands, and one of his aunts is a Duchess of rich, fertile lands. She has a song as her heir. Her daughter, whom the King is supposedly fond of, is engaged to an Elven Prince. So, as for immediate family, there ought not to be a threat."

"Shouldn't be, yeah." Sarah felt the urge to dig into this deeper – what was the Goblin King's immediate reaction? Who benefited from his death and how? Yet, she could see poor Didymus wringing his hands as he spoke. This wasn't a particularly comfortable area for him. She too wasn't very familiar in this kind of territory. Then again, she was feeling her stomach rumbling for dinner. Though he kept up a strong face, Sarah could sense a weariness in Didymus. He deserved some time to rest after the events of the last few days.

"And that minion, that creature with the orange fur." Added Sarah "Are you sure you don't know him?"

"Positive, my lady." Confirmed her friend with a nod. "Now, if that is everything?"

"Oh God, yes. Sorry. Don't let me keep you from returning home."

"Adieu, my lady." Didymus gave a short bow before he vanished from the mirror.

With that all done and dusted, Sarah sank into her bed. Recollections from the day's events buzzed around in her head. As her attention flickered from thought to thought, Sarah didn't notice herself sinking into a much-needed sleep.

 _Ding-dong_

"Huh?" Sarah rubbed her eyes. What time was it? And was that the pizza delivery guy?

 _Ding-dong. Ding-dong._

"Ugh. Coming!" She called, as she stumbled out of her bedroom. From the glimpse she got of her alarm clock, it must have been over an hour since she had called. "Huh. For someone so late, you sure are impatient."

Sarah was still a bit sluggish, but as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, she got a funny feeling. When had she called the pizzeria again? And on a more important note, did Sarah an hour ago order something decent for dinner?

Opening the locks on her door and swinging it open, Sarah was met with someone who didn't fit the profile of your pizza delivery guy. Unless she was mistaken, most pizzeria uniforms didn't tend to be made up of mauve jacket, navy blue breeches and thick leather boots

 _'_ _You know what?'_ Said the little voice in the back of Sarah's mind. ' _You actually didn't order any pizza. This isn't a pizza guy.'_

Sarah pulled in a sharp breath upon this realisation and put on a forced smile to the stranger.

"Uh. Can I help you?"

The man, with calico coloured hair stared right into her eyes without saying a single word. If that wasn't unnerving enough for Sarah, the stranger then decided to up the ante by producing a lethally sharp knife out of his jacket pocket. It was pure luck that the stranger's attempt to stab her in one swift go was unsuccessful, as Sarah dodged the knife just before it could reach her any part of her body.

Needless to say, Sarah wasn't going to eat just yet that evening.

A/N  
Apologies for not updating sooner, but moving to a new country for study will take up a lot of your time. Although, knowing college work back home, I could have not updated for a while due to college work and stuff. Anway, I intend to update somewhat regularly, my goal would be once a month ideally. Hopefully I can actually keep to that goal, though I have a little bit of writers block for once specific section I'm currently working on. It's not a huge thing, but it's hard to convey what I want to convey for that section. At some point, I'll figure it all out but I'll just have to keep hammering away at it until I get what I want,

Anyway, hope this chapter satisfies you until the next one. Who is this guy? Is he the 'big bad'? What does he want? What will happen to Sarah? Find out when I update next time!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Neighbourhood Threat**

' _He don't really feel the weather  
And he don't share your pleasures  
No, he don't share your pleasures  
Did you see his eyes?  
Did you see his crazy eyes?'_

 _-Iggy Pop_

"Gargh!"

As soon as the stranger barged in with his knife out, Sarah took several steps backwards and grabbed the nearest thing she could reach; an umbrella on a side table. She deflected the knife with it as the man thrusted it directly at her. It wasn't easy, not when the attacker had that look in his eyes that told Sarah he was determined to see her stabbed. Or dead. For the moment, Sarah could spare the umbrella if it meant saving her own skin in the process.

Who was he? As she repelled his attacks again and again, Sarah couldn't put a name on his face. Of course, sometimes an ordinary person will face a random attack in their own home. No matter where you live, it is always a possibility. There are always thieves, intruders, and people with dark, unsavoury intentions. A sad fact of life. It didn't have to be something Otherworldly in nature, right?

Finally, Sarah received a break in the onslaught when the stranger took a pause to adjust his posture. Perhaps he intended to strike at one of her own weak points, or put more weight into his attack. However, she took the moment to raised up her umbrella and whack the guy directly in the face. Sarah may have made him angrier, but it gave her precious moments for her to head away towards the kitchen.

 _'_ _If what I think is in the kitchen, then I might have a chance. To stop this and find out the truth.'_

The stranger looked around, seemingly confused as to where his victim was. There was only one door and no windows for her to escape. He stood for a moment, unsure of his next move. Unknownst to him, Sarah crept slowly out from behind the door with her weapon of choice in hand. However, once he realised that his target was exactly, it was too late for him.

"Drop the knife. Now." Sarah commanded between gritted teeth, watching the man's face pale. His immediate reaction was to gaze fearfully at the cast iron skillet at his neck. He tried backing away, only to find the wall blocking him. Sarah could have laughed at the sigh, but she still felt wound up over the attack mere minutes ago. A moment later, the knife clattered to the floor.

"Who are you? What is your name and why have you come here?"

"…"

"Don't give me that BS." Snapped Sarah. Her eyes never left him for a moment. "I know you're Fae of some kind. If this pan touches you, you're toast, right? So, if you want to avoid that, you better cooperate and answer my freaking questions. Name?"

The stranger visibly squirmed, but Sarah's grip on the skillet remained firm. After a minute, he was forced to reply.

"T…Tharnis. Tharnis Matauge."

The name rang no bells with Sarah. But it was a good first step, proving she had the upper hand for now.

"Who are you – and give me something concrete if you don't mind- and what do you want"

"I'm a F…Fae noble. I want to kill you."

"….Ok. Why?" Like most people, Sarah had never been told by anyone else that they had intended to kill her. For the vast majority of those in similar situations, most people would probably get away from the would be killer and Sarah would be lying if she said she didn't feel this urge to escape her apartment.

 _'_ _I've barely begun to scratch the surface of this situation.'_ She pondered. ' _Just keep going with this. Maybe I'll accidentally hit him and knock him out in the case where he tries to kill me again. Maybe he'll disappear and I'll wind up paranoid because some Fae Lord decided he wants to kill me….'_

"Why?" Repeated Tharnis. "Why? That's not the concern of a mere mortal -AHH!"

Satisfied with the reaction she got, Sarah lowered the iron pan back to where it had been previously. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a knowing look. She didn't need to say another word as Tharnis understood.

"Your death." He spat. Sarah keep an eye on the wound. It must have been throbbing like crazy. "Like the others, it would contribute to the havoc, chaos, and confusion in my world. Your death is in my interest."

"Oh for goodness sake, are you still doing this?" Snapped Sarah, resisting the urge to hurt him again. Best not to overuse the pan if she ould. "Can you just explain everything clearly? How the hell would my death lead to all some chaos in the Underground?"

"Your death alone would be of little consequence." Smirked the Fae man. "But in an atmosphere where people having being dropping left and right like flies, it does not help matters. Which work all in my favour."

"Here's a bizarre accusation." Sarah posed the question carefully. "I'm only throwing it out there. But was it you who tried to kill the Goblin King?"

"It was ordered by me, yes. Why are you asking?" Tharnis didn't appear to phased by the question, responding in a flippant manner.

"And does the name Jeremy Powell mean anything to you?"

"Jeremy… Jeremy…" He looked upwards as he processed the name over and over. "Ah yes, the name rings a bell. I had someone take care of him for me. One of King Farold's descendants. Yes, a human he may have been but I couldn't have him walking around, even up here. Not good for my plans"

"…"

"I'm afraid I don't know whether or not he succumbed to the wounds." Tharnis took Sarah's silence as a chance to continue. Sarah suspected he took a certain brutal pleasure in casually discussing violent matters. "Some do-gooder spotted my minion and the man before he could finish him off. You ought to be honoured that such a skilled man such as myself has taken the time to kill you. My handiwork usually gets the job done. Unlike my underlings who cannot follow a plan to save their lives."

"That's a bit bigheaded of you, don't you think." Sarah flickered her eyes back to Tharnis, narrowing them as she did. In the back of her mind, she wondered how this was all going to end. For herself and for the extreme Fae noble. "Your underlings may not have achieved their goal, but you're no better. Look at yourself. Who can call you skilled like this?"

Tharnis's immediate reaction did not make for a pretty sight. Though one could consider him handsome in an unusual way, his looks were not in any way appealing once he twisted his long, thin face in anger. Sarah kept her grip tight on the iron skillet, but she was all too aware that the Fae noble could take a chance to bolt away, and use that knife that was in reaching distance to end her life.

He didn't though. Still cornered by the iron skillet, Tharnis didn't move an inch. He was dangerous, that was obvious, yet he wasn't completely without brains. The look of pure rage remained, however. Shaken as Sarah felt by all of this, she did have a backup. One involving a salt shaker on the kitchen countertop within arm's reach…

"As a weak human with a death wish, you really ought to shut your mouth." Tharnis spat out. "You have some strange luck; I'll give you that. But you're going to slip up one way or another. I can stand up against the wall all night- all day, all week if I must! How about you?"

' _Well, he's not wrong.'_ Sarah could already feel her wrist muscles beginning to cry under the strain of the pan. Tharnis could try to unnerve her all he wanted, but Sarah wasn't going to get herself killed. Even if that meant bluffing while thinking up of a proper solution to this mess.

"Oh please." Huffed Sarah. "I beat the Goblin King's Labyrinth in thirteen hours. I can save my own skin in my own home."

"You... You beat the Labyrinth? The one in the Goblin Kingdom?" The note of scepticism at the end of his remark did not sit well with Sarah. "You're that champion we hear about? From around 10 human years ago?"

Sarah glared at him. "Yes. It was me. Isn't that why you came in here? To kill the Labyrinth's Champion and add to the chaos?"

Tharnis shook his head slowly. "No. I… I took you for someone else."

"Huh?"

Tharnis gave her a curious look. "Are you not the mistress of the Goblin King?"

If Sarah's wrists didn't hurt like the devil, she would have seriously considered whacking him in the face. Angry Fae be damned.

"Are you kidding me? No!" She gaped at the thought. Visions of the Goblin King's smug, smackable face floated around her mind. Oh, he would have loved to hear that. "How did you make that conclusion? Why? Just…what?"

Tharnis appeared very amused by her reaction.

"Oh, I dare say I touched a nerve." He tittered, relishing the chance to jeer at his captor. "Perhaps it was a little much to consider you Jareth's mistress. I only know of him visiting you once in recent weeks. Once I found out where he had gone after my first assassination attempt and who he had visited, I assumed he had gone to seek comfort after the horrible ordeal."

Sarah took a sharp intake of breath. "For your information, he only wanted to confirm an alibi for a suspect, who was with me at the time of your attack. Not that."

"Oh really?" The unconvinced, and mocking tone of his voice was like hearing fingernails scrap on a blackboard. "I don't suppose it matters what your relationship with the Goblin King is or is not. The end result is all the same."

She glanced at the shiny toaster to her left on the countertop, not too far from the salt. With Tharnis right in front of her, Sarah couldn't really say anything out loud. Of course, there wasn't anything to stop her from trying to call her friends without using her voice!

 _'_ _Come on.'_ Sarah thought, with the hope that someone could hear them. _'If someone is out there- Hoggle, Didymus, Ludo, Ambrosius - I need your help. I'm in a bit of a pickle, and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this intruder off. Please, any help would be appreciated.'_

She waited a couple of minutes, and nothing had changed. Tharnis had clearly noticed her silence. While he said nothing in response to that, Sarah could practically hear the cogs turning in his head. Her momentarily slip in attention proved to be her undoing.

Sarah hadn't realised her hold on the pan had tilted away from the right somewhat. It was a slight change from the previous position, giving the Fae more room to move on the left; just enough room to escape. It was an opportunity that Tharnis seized with glee. Before Sarah herself could spot the weak spot, Tharnis had slipped through the near impossible gap between the wall and the iron pan. Throughout the moment, a wicked grin lit up upon the Fae's face. A cold shiver ran down the back of her neck. With the weight of the pan in her hands, she knew that its purpose had altered: from a weapon of offence to one of defence.

Immediately, the Fae noble darted for the knife. Sarah hit back with her pan, blocking Tharnis momentarily. However, it didn't stop him from dodging her a second time, getting past her and swiping back the knife. Once he had his instrument in his grasp, Tharnis set his sights on Sarah. Again, pan and knife clashed in the confined space of Sarah's kitchen.

She felt several beads of sweat run down the side of her face; Sarah knew it didn't look good. She was not in any way a fencer, and having a pan as her sword had many disadvantages. Tharnis had not spent the last while cornering someone with a heavy iron skillet pan like she had. He seemed to relish the fight. His whole face lit up in anticipation for the victory that he knew was sure to follow. The odds certainly weren't in her favour at that moment.

However, she had her plan B right next to her. In a flash, Sarah grabbed the salt shaker with her other hand and threw it straight at Tharnis, while simultaneously striking him in the leg with the pan. She had hoped for some kind of reaction; she had heard that salt was useful against the Fae, and as the previous attempt with the pan proved that Tharnis feared iron anything. In truth, she did get a reaction, one she wasn't fully prepared for. A blood curdling scream emitted from the bottom of Tharnis's lungs and resonated throughout the apartment. He immediately clutched the injured leg, moaning heavily as he did so. Sarah didn't stop to examine the exact damage, instead sidestepping the intruder and stumbling out into her living room.

 _'_ _Ok, what now? Mirror. Where is it? Where did I-?"_

Her eyes were drawn to the stranger in the room. "Didymus?"

At first glance, anyone would have made the same mistake. The stranger, like Didymus, seemed to be a fox creature, and had the same orange fur, if a little darker. His clothes were simple, all black. He stood by the entrance, where the door had been left open during the disturbance. As she took in the stranger with unease in confusion, the stranger spoke up.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, ma'am." He began hesitantly. "My employer is in here, isn't he?"

Sarah gave a brief nod to his question. The events from her previous encounter rattled in the back of his mind. She couldn't ignore who was in front of her: Didymus's Impersonator. If he wasn't the one who had tried to kill Jareth in the Goblin Castle, then Sarah would have to

"Oh dear." The fox sighed. "Again, I'm really sorry. Just know… I wanted none of this. Especially up here."

At the sight of the fox pulling out a metal baseball from behind his back, Sarah's heart began to race. With the stranger blocking the door, Sarah was limited in her escape routes. She was still clutching the skillet, so she wasn't totally defenceless. However, with an angry, injured Fae noble behind her in the kitchen, and another Otherworldly creature with malevolent intentions, it wouldn't be an easy situation to get out of. As soon as the fox began to move, Sarah darted to the other side of the room, around the table. At the very least, she could buy herself more time to find solution to the two intruders in her apartment.

' _Wait.'_ Sarah felt almost foolish for forgetting about it. _'Hold on. The fire escape outside the bedroom.'_

She dashed out of the living room. Looking back, Sarah was surprised to see that the fox intruder hadn't moved much, and didn't look as if he was still going to attack her. For a moment, Sarah wondered if she had mistaken him. Perhaps he really was conflicted?

However, this train of thought was interrupted by a cloud clash the from the kitchen, accompanied by bellowing howl. Immediately, the fox's tense expression of internal struggle altered to a sad defeated look. His grip on the baseball bat tightened and he looked directly at Sarah. He mouthed 'I'm sorry' and ran straight towards Sarah. As he swung the bat, Sarah took a several steps back, finding herself backed up against the wall. Reaching her hand out behind her, Sarah felt an odd heavy sensation in that direction but didn't look backwards. The Didymus's lookalike made another swing of the bat, missing Sarah yet again.

 _'_ _What the..'_

The fox's eyes widened and he took a step back upon seeing it. Only then did Sarah turn to see the strange spectacle of half her body engulfed in her mirror. Where one would expect to find a hard glass surface, Sarah could feel a hefty liquid substance submerging her body. While the stranger froze in his spot, despite the shouts from the kitchen, Sarah flailed and thrashed to get free as the mirror held its grip on the left side of her body. For all her efforts, Sarah's body only sunk further into the mirror.

' _Oh crap. Damn. Damn. Who? What did they do? Oh come on, how is it doing this? If I do this...oh shit. Its not working. Oh fuck.'_

Her last sight before the substance swallowed up completely was the stranger looking totally confused, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. Before her vision turned to black, he seemed to be saying something. Yet before the words could reach Sarah's ears, she had left her apartment for a realm without light...

A/N

I like this chapter. There may be a lot of it, but some of it was fun to write (like those fight scenes!). I'm still busy, so it's difficult to find time to work on this story. I make do when I have the time and motivation. BTW, remember I mentioned that there was news that there would be a Labyrinth Comic coming out at some point? Well, apparently it's going to be about the Goblin King's backstory! Well, I'm not sure if this is separate from the one I mentioned in Chapter two, but the premise sounds interesting. I hope I can get my hands on a copy :)

Anyway, hopefully you'll see another update soon. I'm not making any promises, but I'll do my best :) I was thinking of making a Spotify playlist with all the songs I use as titles, if anyone is interested? I might link next time, should I remember to make it!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: **'** **Strange Days.'**

 _'_ _Strange days have found us.  
And through their strange hours, we linger alone.  
Bodies confused, memories misused.  
As we run from the day to a strange night of stone.'_

By 'The Doors.

For a moment, Sarah felt as if she was suspended in mid-air. All there was to see was pitch black. It didn't make for an assuring sight. After what felt like hours, or it could have been minutes, Sarah felt her body being pulled downwards. Once again, she didn't seem to have a say in the matter. At first it all felt slow and leisurely. Unfortunately for Sarah's stomach, this gentle sensation did not last long.

"Arrrghhh!" Her voice returned with a shriek. It felt all too similar to the last time she had gone on the tallest rollercoaster in the state, only worse. No sense of safety, no other sounds or visions, and no idea what was to come. Had Sarah had her dinner, she knew for a fact that she would have spewed it up at some point.

And after far too long, the feeling of plummeting stopped suddenly. There was no painful meeting with the ground; for Sarah, it felt as if the ground just appeared.

Sarah spent the next five minutes or so trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. It was a slightly challenging task, to say the least. With no way of telling where she was in the pitch black, Sarah's only method was to feel around the place. So far, she had touched what must be a table, a chair and some shelves full of books. The floor was most likely made of wood. That was a little reassuring; after falling into the room, Sarah briefly wondered about the possibility she had been thrown into much more dangerous territory. If it was a small study, then surely it couldn't be too dangerous, could it? The major concern she had at that moment was to find the light. After that, she could worry where the room was located and who the owner was.

"Ugh, why?" Sarah held her head in her hands. Much to her delight, her head pounded, yet our heroine couldn't tell whether it was from the journey or from the crash landing.

"Some journey, huh." She muttered to herself as she observed the lack of her surroundings. In the back of her mind, she was sort of glad. Having no backup to fight off Tharnis and his accomplice, it was probably a good thing she had an escape when she did. As for her apartment, Sarah could only hope she would find it in good order when she returned. Then again, how likely was that?

"Where is it?" Her hands touched upon what she thought was a painting. Sarah frowned as she moved on, stepping further along the wall. Her ears picked up on a rustle from somewhere outside the room, but she didn't realise how close it was until Sarah realised she had company.

"Excuse me." From the door, a woman's voice rang across to where Sarah stood. At the same time, a bright, flickering candlelight broke through the shadows. Sarah lifted up her head to meet the light, in the direction of the speaker. "What are you doing in my study?"

From the doorway, the woman peered at Sarah and pressed her lips into a tight line. Clothed in subdued green robes, she was clearly not pleased to find a random person in her home.

"Um. Sorry. I didn't intend to intrude. Er… Where am I?"

The woman looked confused for a moment before replying. "You are in Seelie territory. In Starborough Stronghold, the Castle of the King. Pardon me for asking, but…You're not Fae?"

"No, I'm not. I'm sorry for ending up in your house, but … how do you know that I'm not human?"

Sarah could hear the woman take in a sharp intake of air.

"There's something different about about you. Something human."

Sarah furrowed her brows and gave a curt nod, saying nothing else. The emphasis on 'human' did not sound very flattering at all. Like she was a filthy stray dog in a someone's house or something as equally unwelcoming. Yet the main thing was that she was somewhere in the Underground, as she had suspected. Probably not near to the Goblin Kingdom. As if Sarah hadn't had enough of the Fae for one day…

"…How in the world did you get here? It takes a great deal of magical effort to teleport past the main entrances" The woman stared at Sarah with an amount of uncertainty in her eyes. "And humans from the Mortal realm don't tend to be that skilled."

Sarah rubbed the back of her neck. "I really don't know. I was being attacked by this Fae I've never met before and well… one thing led to another…" She trailed off, as her stomach began to rumble.

"I see." Said the woman. She opened out the door and beckoned Sarah to come with her. "My name is Ragma. I'm afraid you're going to have to sit down and tell me everything. With the state of the court the way it is now, security is high. If I let you go now, and someone hears of this, things wouldn't go well for me. But, let it not be said that I am not hospitable. Would you care for dinner?"

Oxoxoxox

Despite her apprehension, Sarah told everything to Ragma over a small meal of vegetable soup and brown bread. The meal was greatly received by Sarah, though the memory of the last time she ate food from the Underground did flash up in the back of her mind. Although Ragma was clearly hesitant towards Sarah, she remained silent for most of the time. She let Sarah ramble about her story. Her only contribution was to nod, and add 'hmm' and 'I see' every once in a while.

When Sarah finished up, Ragma took a breath and sat up straight in her chair.

"So, Sarah. It seems I have the honour of speaking to the Labyrinth Champion. Quite a remarkable feat, I must say. Do you know that few have successfully ran the Labyrinth?"

"Is that so?" She hadn't known that. As interesting that fact was, Sarah didn't want to appear rude, but she did wonder where the woman going with this.

"And since Jareth took the throne of the Goblin Kingdom, you have been the only one to best his Labyrinth. So, from what you have told me, it seems you aren't to be underestimated, like Tharnis appears to have done."

Sarah shifted in her seat, and tried to stifle a yawn. "I don't mean to be impolite, but since I've told you everything, could I return home? I don't want to leave my apartment open and unlocked for anyone to pop in if I can help it."

"…" Ragma narrowed her eyebrows. "You may have strength, but I would question your common sense."

"Excuse me?" Sarah blinked and gave a questioning look.

"Returning back so soon?" Ragma sighed and shook her head wearily. "I understand that it has been a long day for you. But if this Matauge boy is responsible for the recent murders and attacks in this world, then it would be foolish and irresponsible of me to let you go back home with him on the loose. I can speak for my patron when I say that you must stay down here for the foreseeable future."

Ragma stood up out of her seat. Sarah took in a deep breath and attempted speak again, to make a case for her returning home. Or she tried to, as Ragma swiftly exited the room, taking her cutlery and ware with her in an instant. Sarah rolled her eyes and got up to follow her. Upon leaving the small dining room, a scan of the corridor led Sarah to notice a nearby half open door.

"Ok, look." Fumed Sarah as she marched over to the door. "You mind not evading me? Like, I don't think that any of this is necessary. I'm sure things down here are… Oh come on!"

Ragma was absent from the room, which turned out to be some sort of a lounge. It was tight enough for space, like the other rooms she had seen. Despite that, it did contain one large plush sofa. Sarah stopped for a moment. She could go out the corridor again. Then again there had been a couple of doors and who knew where they would lead her? Additionally, Ragma had mentioned that security was tight around here. If Sarah bumped into the wrong person, then things may not end up so good for her. Also, that sofa looked comfy…

"Fine." Sarah collapsed onto the sofa with a satisfied sigh. "Just for a minute. She better be back soon…"

-Xoxoxo-

"-She does snore a bit, doesn't she?"

Opening her eyes, Sarah was met with the sight of two foggy, unfocused figures.

 _'_ _Where am I? How long have I been out?'_

"Oh leave her be." Replied a second voice wearily. "She looked absolutely exhausted when I first came across her. It's no wonder she fell asleep as easily as that."

She blinked a couple of times. The figures morphed into Ragma and Jareth. Both were standing across from the coffee table in front of the couch. As the events of the previous hours came back, Sarah sat up and rubbed the side of her head.

"Look, I know I'm the stranger here but what was with the running off?" She demanded.

"I apologise, Sarah." Said Ragma. "I did not mean to be rude, or to put such an abrupt end to our conversation. But I did need to reach the Goblin King as soon as I could. After all, I can only help you once I trust that your story is true. And who else could confirm what you have said to me but Jareth?"

Sarah wanted to argue back, but in all fairness the other woman did appear a little ashamed, not quite meeting Sarah's eyes. The brunette sighed and decided to avoid any conflict or confrontation for the moment.

 _'_ _That Ragma is strange. But if she's willing to help me, an outsider, then I guess I can manage to overlook that incident. Heck, at least I got some sleep.'_

"Alright, so what now?" She said to Ragma. She could excuse Ragma, but she didn't need to include the Goblin King more than what was necessary. If Sarah had intended her cold shoulder approach would tell Jareth to clear off, then it wasn't working. He stayed, with his attention was fixed upon Ragma.

"Well, at this stage, I may as well give a little bit of Tharnis's backstory." Explained Ragma. "With this minion underling of his, it can be safe to assume both are responsible, at least in part, to the recent murders and attacks in the Kingdom and afar. The King is aware that not only has his cousins have been targeted, but even those who wouldn't be considered close family."

"Yes, I've never heard much of the Matauge family before." Jareth examined his leather gloves for a moment, before glancing back to Ragma. "A rumour here and there, but nothing scandalous or worth listening to. At least in my opinion."

"Oh yes, I know what you're talking of." The older woman sat down on one of the lounge seats and leaned back. "Well Sarah, the Matauge family has never been the most notable of families in the Seelie Kingdom. Neither have they ever been very wealthy, and they have never stood out. They were never great leaders, talented at anything useful, or popular with the Seelie Court. However, that cannot be said for Lady Tanelia Matauge, Tharnis's mother. This rumour in question surrounds her many decades ago. She had been well-liked and respected lady in her youth. Very charismatic, I'm told. She could become friends with anyone,. And though she was married, she was said to be in an affair with Farold, the previous Seelie King. Peredur's father, that is."

"Okaaay." Most of the names meant nothing to Sarah. What caught her attention was the last bit, the affair. "So, if what you're insinuating what I think you are, then-"

"Having only met Tharnis one time, my memory of his appearance isn't the clearest." Confessed Ragma. "But he still has that sort of dark blonde hair, yes?... Well, if you compared Tharnis to his father, or his mother's husband, most wouldn't see much family resemblance. As for his backstory, he has been like the majority of Matauge family members. For the most part."

"Ah yes." Agreed Jareth, much to Sarah' surprise. "He has never been the most rational of individuals. Do you remember, Ragma, that time I visited before Peredur came to the throne? Larissa had just got engaged. I had not witnessed it myself, but I did converse with those who saw it first hand. During the engagement ball, there had been a kerfuffle at some point. Apparently, some young men were fooling around and Tharnis perceived somethings they said to be an insult directed at him. Whether it was concerning the rumours, I don't know. However, regardless of what he said, Tharnis certainly did go overboard."

"So in short." Continued Jareth, with slightly smug undertones. "He is the unacknowledged son of the last king, a brutal and unhinged individual. As for why he is that way, I couldn't say. Perhaps he has some Unseelie blood in him. Who knows. He is a prime candidate for all of this trouble."

"Right." Said Sarah. "So, if you have your guy, then surely you can find him and charge him for his crimes?"

"That is what we would like to happen." Sighed Ragma. "However, the situation is not quite like that. I believe what you have said, and so does Jareth." She gave the King a pointed look. "Yet, I have reason to believe that the King's court may not be so quick to trust a human. As for the King… now Peredur isn't a fool. I would be more confident in apprehending Tharnis if he didn't listen to certain members of his court. Still, I am certain he is troubled by the murders and attacks that have plagued his own circle of friends and family. In any case, Tharnis is still at large and it may be some time before he acts again or is caught by someone who believes us."

"Does this mean I can't return home?" Throughout the info dump, Sarah had hoped that she wouldn't have to stay any longer.

"As I said earlier on." The tone Ragma used was harsher. "It's irresponsible to go home. I'm not saying that Tharnis will strike again here; he's already had Princess Larissa stabbed. At some point, he might eye Peredur himself. With a bit of luck, we'll be prepared for that. So, for the moment, you will stay."

Sarah frowned. "Well, what do I do now? I can't just stay down here and twiddle my thumbs and wait until Tharnis decides to hand himself in."

"No, I suppose you can't." Ragma looked down in thought. "I am usually quite busy, so it would be hard to keep you hidden. There is another way that you can stay here…"

Yes." Interrupted Jareth. Sarah and his eyes met. "You can stay with me. In my quarters."

A/N As usual I don't own anything from Labryinth

I would have updated sooner but couldn't thanks to writers block, bad mental health, assignment and exams. Luckily Im on break and am feeling more up to writing again.


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